New kid on the (bird atlas) Block

So I was noticing that the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas block next to mine only has 30 species reported (26 possible, and only 4 confirmed breeders), so I decided at the last minute (this is the last summer of atlasing) to adopt the poor forlorn block myself. This morning, in a couple hours on the way to work, I was able to find 12 additional species for the block. While I was only able to confirm eight as breeding, I was able to find evidence for probable breeding in 19 others. Not a bad way to start. I'll continue to bird there as much as I can this month. During the first PA bird atlas (1984-89), there were 55 species reported from this block. I'm at 43 species so far, so I've still got a ways to go to beat that total, though I already have more probable and confirmed species than they got last time.

High points this morning were a pair of Orchard Orioles feeding on berries in a powerline right of way, and a female Eastern Towhee carrying food for nestlings.